Experts from the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney provided a briefing to media representatives on the forthcoming visit to Asia by US President Barack Obama and other aspects of US–Asian relations.

Listen to the briefing and read the pre-event press release below

Professor Bates Gill, chief executive of the US Studies Centre and one of Australia’s leading commentators on US-Asia relations, says that nothing better demonstrates America’s long-term commitment than its enhanced political, economic, and security relationships with partners across the Indo-Pacific.

“The US is likely to remain a predominant power in the Asia Pacific and the Washington consensus is that the national interest demands even deeper engagement”, he said. “The President’s visit is a critically important part of the ongoing American rebalance to the region.”

Professor Gill will lead the briefing. He will be joined by Centre visiting professor Linda Jakobson, who is one of the world’s leading experts on China's foreign policy and US-China relations, and Gordon Flake, chief executive of the Centre’s sister institution, the Perth USAsia Centre, who has decades of experience on US relations with Northeast and Southeast Asia.

The US President’s visit to Asia, scheduled to commence Tuesday 22 April, will include stops in Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, and the Philippines. Topics to be covered in the US Studies Centre’s media briefing include: significance of the visit; the American rebalance to the region; US alliance relations in the region; Japan-China tensions and the US role; prospects for the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement; US political, economic, and security ties in Southeast Asia; and the implications of these developments for Australia.